Plant & Machinery covers a multitude of tools and equipment used on construction sites.

All of the mechanical and electrically powered equipment is regulated by Health & Safety legislation or guidelines. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) and Lifting and Operating Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) together with others deal with the safe use of equipment and cover matters such as inspection frequencies.

The serious safety risks involved in the use of mobile equipment include: being struck by the vehicle; the vehicle rolling over; the driver or passengers falling from the vehicle or being struck by a falling object; unauthorised start up of the vehicle; inadequate devices for braking and stopping; and restricted driver visibility. To try to reduce these type of risks, changes to the regulations recently came fully into force, which means that any mobile equipment must be of the same standard as one built since December 1998.

LOLER has also seen some recent changes which included bringing lifting gear on delivery vehicles under the same rules of maintenance and inspection as other hoisting equipment.